The Case of the Missing Fan Dancer
Robbers will strike against single figures, against two D6 4+ yes 3- no. Otherwise slink or run away.
Lit indicates that a light is showing.
A Start point for Sherlock Holmes in the Lily-white Laundry (Alan)
B Start point for Rodney Spelling’s Occult Verification Society (Brian)
C Start point for Inspector Hasting’s Police (Hugh)
D Start Point for Osric Panham of the Hearts of Oak Society. (Paul)
1. Shed
2. Big Lansdown Furniture shop closed
3. Jones Butcher & Hodges Greengrocer
4. Lit Queens Head Pub now shut & cleaning up. Mr Hoggit WA, Mo 5”, Fa 2/2/4, Ag –1, Th 0, Me 0, bludgeon Bst –2, Bystander, Mo 5”, Fa 2/2/4, Ag –1, Th 0, Me 0, bludgeon Bst -2
Class V, PI Dubious, Charm M +1, F +1, Coercion +1
Ned, By, Mo 5.5”, Fa 2/2/4, Ag –1, Th 0, Me 0, bludgeon Bst –2 Class IV, PI Du, Charm M +1, F 0, Coercion 0
Mrs Ruby Elsworth, By, Mo 5”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag 0, Th 0, Me –2, Bare hands Bst –3
Class III (II) PI Respectable, Charm M +2, F 0.
5. House
6. Medical Mission two nuns three male patients asleep.
7. Doctors Doctor Mallard By, AvD to raise Mo 5.5”, Fa 2/3/5, Ag 0, Th 0, Me 0, B. Hands Bst –3
Class VI, PI Respectable, Charm M+1 F+1, Coercion 0.
8. Shop closed (Gamages clothiers)
9. Shop closed 2nd Hand Clothes
10. Shop closed Bakers
11. Lit Grolzmann’s Pawnshop Grolzmann has an array of pawned watches, candlesticks, cutlery and ornaments which he is recording in his ledger. Stolen items just left for Poplar shop. Jeremiah Grolzmann Activist, Mo 5”, Fa 2/3/3, Ag 0, Th 0, Me +1, cosh Bst –3 Class IV PI Unsavoury, Charm M+1, F +1, Coercion 0 £2 – 2 – 2d. In safe £8 – 3 – 7d
12. Maeve Fowler’s brothel base. Lit Maeve WA, Mo 4.5”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag 0, Th 0, Me -2, Bare hands –3 Charm M +1 F –2, Class II, PI Unsavoury MC £4 – 0 – 7d. (Has graveyard keys) 2 extra beds
13. Mrs Elbow’s Corner Shop shut. Mrs Elbow in bed. By, Mo 5”, Fa 1/2/3, Ag –1, Th –1, Me –2,
tray Bst –3 Class IV, PI Respectable, Charm M +1, F 0
14. Oak Beams Pub Lit Landlord Tuck & Barmaid Ada, Students Richard Read & George Yateman
Richard & George are Ralph Harker’s accomplices waiting for his return from feeding Fan Flu.
Will crack if threatened with jail by police.
Tuck By, Mo 6”, Ag 0, Me +1 Bottle Bst –2 Charm M 0, F –1, Co +1 Dubious MC £17 – 3s – 4d
Ada Mo 5”, Ag –1. Me –2, tray Bst –2 Charm M +1, F 0 Dubious MC £0 – 5s – 2d (Made food)
Richard WA, Mo 6”, Fa 2/2/3, Ag +1, Th +1, Me +1, Stick Bst –2 Ch M 0 F +1 Du MC 0 – 13s – 5d
George WA, Mo 6”, Fa 2/2/3, Ag +1, Th +1, Me +1, Stick Bst –2 Ch M 0 F +1 Du MC 0 – 8s – 11d
15. House
16. Houses including Lit Edna Gimlet’s, she is spying. By, Mo 5”, Fa 1/2/3, Ag –1, Th –2, Me –2, B. Hands Bst –3 Class IV, PI Respectable, Charm M -1, F 0
17. Houses
18. * Draw Card position
19. * Draw Card position
20. * Draw Card position
21. * Draw Card position
22. Shed
23. Large Shed ‘Slaters’ Bertram Cup and Yale Berry forging half-crowns! They are expecting Frank Ogget to bring tin ingots. Silly Susan now paid off.
Bertram WA Mo 5”, Fa 2/2/4, Ag 0, Th 0, Me 0, cup molten lead Bst –3, thrown m. lead 2” 4+ Pst +1,
Class 111, PI Unsavoury, Charm M 0, F 0, Coercion +1. Yale Lea Ac, Mo 5”, Fa 2/2/4, Ag 0, Th 0, Me 0, bare hands –3. Throw bag of moulds 2” 4+ Bst –2. Class 1V, PI Unsavoury, Charm M 0, F 0, Coercion +1. They have 15 cast half crowns but no other money.
24. Stone Store building
25. Tenement no lights
26. Lit Police Station Inspector Harold Hastings, Sergeant & 6 Constables PC Legget is out on patrol. See Player C Police Start
27. Tenement no lights
28. Tenement no lights
29. Tenement no lights
30. Lit Lily-white Laundry & Heavenly Cloud Opium Den See A Holmes Start. Madam Hsing Song, Flautist Fo-uh, Tong dagger men Wun & Xi, 4 Coolies, 3 washerwoman.
Madam Song LEA, Ac, Mo 4”, Fa 1/2/2, Ag -2, Th 0, Me -3, dagger Pst –1, Charm M +2, F 0 Co +1
Fo-uh In, Mo 6”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag 0, Th 0, Me –1, B. hands Bst –3 Charm F +1, M 0 MC £0 – 0s – 5d
Tong Man WA, Mo 6”, Fa 2/3/3, Ag +1, Th 0, Me +1, dagger Pst –1, Charm –2, Coercion +2
Coolie In, Mo 6”, Fa 2/3/3, Ag +1, Th 0, Me 0, staff Pst –2, Charm 0, Mc 0-0-0d
Washerwomen In, Mo 6”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag -1, Th 0, Me –2, B. hands Bst –3 Charm F 0, M -1 MC £0–0s– 0d
31. Water tower
32. Ironing room
33. Clothes drying shed
34. Hot wash chamber
35. Cold wash chamber
36. Edelbaum’s Corner shop/delicatessen closed
37. * Draw Card position
38. * Draw Card position
39. * Draw Card position
40. Methodist Church locked
41. Tenement unlit
42. Estate Agents with Church Commissioner Josiah Flint’s Flat above. Locked & no lights.
Cash Box £87 – 13 – 11d
43. Lit Red Rose Pub Publican Lancaster, Maid Griselda, Factor Josiah Flint receiving money from Rough Reg & Tough Tad his rent collector heavies.
Flint Ac, Mo 5.5” Fa 2/2/2, Ag 0, Th 0, Me +1, Derringer Bst –3, 2 rounds, 3” 4+ st 0, 6” 5+, st –1, 11” 6+ st –2 Class IV PI Unsavoury, Charm M-1, F -1, Coercion +2 MC £2 – 1 – 10d
Reg WA, Mo 6”, Fa 2/3/3, Ag +1, Th 0, Me +1, Cudgel Bst –2, Charm –1, Coercion +2 MC £3-1s- 1d
Tad WA, Mo 6”, Fa 2/3/3, Ag +1, Th 0, Me +1, Cudgel Bst –2, Charm –1, Coercion +2 MC £1-8s-2d
44. Rene Café Lit upstairs Madame Ginny Palette’s room by the hour. Nests of Portia & Dulcie &c. Ginny By, Mo 4.5”, Fa 1/3/3, Ag 0, Th –1, Me –1, 2 barrelled pistol Bst –2, lamp dagger Pst –1 Pistol 2 shots, misfires on 1-, 3” 5+ Pst +1, 6” 6+ Pst +1. Class II (I) Unsavoury, Charm M+2, F 0 Casket £3 - 7 –1d.
45. Houses
46. St. Radegunds ruined Church. Two straw mattresses in crypt.
47. Sextons Hut. Tools and one mattress
48. * Draw Card position
49. Cricket pavilion locked. Fan Flu asleep in Umpires room. Fatalistic she has no idea where she is.
Fan Flu, In, Mo 5”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag +1, Th 0, Me -2, Fan Bst -2, Charm M +2, F 0 Du MC 0-0-0d
50. * Draw Card position
51. * Draw Card position
52. * Draw Card position
53. * Draw Card position
54. Claypit miscellaneous Warehouse
55. Lit Gatehouse with Tash Rowley Night watchmen & two mastiffs Tash WA, Mo 6”, Fa 2/3/3 Ag +1, Th 0, Me +1 truncheon Bst –1, Class IV, PI Respectable, Charm M-1 F 0, Coercion –1. Controls dogs within 12”. Mastiff FV 2, Mo 7”, Me –1 Pst –2.
56. Shed
57. Shed
58. Shed
59. Furniture Warehouse
60. Shed
61. Lit Henderson’s Roofers & Slaters. Old Sawnie Night watchman is on his way to here see card.
62. Claypit miscellaneous Warehouse.
63. Draw Card Position
64. Draw Card Position beside unlocked Gate to Grave yard (Key Madame Maeve )
65. Draw Card Position
66. Draw Card Position beside unlocked Gate to Grave yard (Key Madame Maeve)
67. Draw Card Position
Sherlock & Doctor Watson at the Lily-white Laundry
You arrive on time at ten thirty to be greeted by Madam Song. She ushers you to the opium den hall where you can hear the wailing flute. There is much less smoke than last time and the seats are all empty. Only two of the bunks are occupied. Madam Song calls out in Chinese and the music ceases. She leads you both up onto the centre of the stage. “This is where this cloth was found.” She hands you a square of coarse woven raw silk with two black Chinese symbols on it. “The cryptograms are those for ‘Cultural elevation’ and the Matiken, who are spiteful demons. You examine it and a sniff informs you that the inking is of recent date. “Madam I think I can say with certainty that your dancer is departed by human agency. These symbols are drawn with Indian Ink not Chinese! I must know more if I am to determine whether she was abducted or whether she perhaps went willingly. What is the full sequence of events?”
“On Tuesday I with most of my people went to Chinatown to celebrate the New Year. Here I left a skeleton staff of two men, the flautist and the dancer to cater for our regular customers. When my foreman Wun with Fi and two women returned early next morning. the two men were found opium drugged in their beds. They said they had been celebrating the New Year. Although they denied it my brother suspects that they were bribed with high strength Opium. He has sent them back to China saying we cannot have bad discipline amongst our employees. The Flautist Fo-uh had also been drugged but not with opium. He claims that the Matiken seized him from behind whilst he was playing near the end of the dance. The next thing he knew was Wun shaking him awake in the wings where he plays.” She gestured to the Flautist who was sitting there looking terrified. You said to Madam “Can ask him if Fan Flu ever spoke to any of the customers?” A sharp Chinese interchange followed.
“He says yes but only when the performance was finished and only when he and more than one westerner was present. He said that Fan Flu liked to practise her English which meant he did not know what they were talking about.”
“Please can you ask him if there were any more attractive to Fan Flu than the others?”
The answer came back “ He said that many of the young students found her attractive but the only one who he noticed particularly was one who could speak some Chinese. He knew the names of none of them. The students are from Lord Knowe’s Finishing School for Gentlemen. When they come they form a sizeable proportion of our clientele. There are none here tonight as they have end of term festivities before breaking up for your festival of Easter. Do you suppose a student has, has talked her into running away with him Mr Holmes.”
“I fear so Madam. Let me think. A student to avoid unnecessary remark would not wish to leave before the end of term. On the other hand he wished to take advantage of the Chinese new Year. Thus he probably has her hidden away somewhere locally until end of term. The end of term being next Thursday I presume. Now where is he likely to hide her? By the by madam, what would your attitude be should he be prepared to marry her?”
“My brother would take it as a great dishonour for her to marry a red haired barbarian! For myself, Fan Flu has eight years service due to us as an apprenticed dancer. Her loss would require a substantial sum in reparation!”
Watson broke in “I say Holmes, the family of a Finishing School student is unlikely to sanction his married to, to a foreigner! They will think rather on similar lines to those of your brother Madam.”
You replied, “Yes Watson, that is why I fear our culprit has a less honourable purpose.”
Madam Song then said, “The students most usually have their jollification’s at the Oak Beams Inn. In fact it only opens in the evening for their benefit. In the mornings and afternoons it gets its trade from the workers in nearby businesses. It does occasionally take lodgers so she could be held there?”
Watson shook his head. “Word of her being there might soon leak out don’t you think Holmes? Remember from our last visit here, we found two paliasses in the crypt of the ruined Church! How about that and then again they said there was one in the gravediggers shed too!”
Madam Song then said, “My brothers men have questioned the staff at The Queens Head, The Red Rose and the Cafe Rene and are sure she is not there. Their response was hostile to us but we are sure they were telling the truth.”
You about this and then said, “We are assuming that she has gone with a student but perhaps there was someone else she may have met?”
“We have always most careful to keep our female employees secluded from undesirable contacts. Our married ladies go out to do the shopping whilst the single ones rarely leave the premises. Still I shall consult with Si-Li an apprentice washer-maid, I think you would call her. She was close to Fan Flu although of a lower caste.” She gave an order to Fo-uh who soon returned with a girl on a long beige suit.
Madam Song barked a series of questions to Si-Li who replied in scared monosyllables.
“She says Fan-Flu welcomed speech with the customers on order to improve her English. She said many of them greatly admired her. Si-Li tried to get her to admit she was fond of one in particular but she did not. She said it was hard top admire a people so ugly as the red haired devils were! Si-Li is sure that the Matiken have stolen Fan-Flu so that she can dance for them! She says that Fan-Flu was so sad to have to work that night when the rest of them went to celebrate the New Year.”
“Thank you Madam, that is probably all that I need to know and things look bad for your dancer. However if she is still in this area and I think she is, Watson and I will try to track her down.”
“Thank you honourable detective may the heavens assist your wisdom in choosing the right course for this case!”
So now unless you can think of any other questions to ask, it is time to decide where you should seek the dancer first? Once decided you will go out into Bogey Lane to meet Earnest Steadyman and his patrol.
Inspector Hastings at the Police Station
All your men and the lamp lighter are assembled on time at 2030 hours. Although earlier there were a couple of troublemakers in the cells these have been transferred to the Whitechapel High Street Station. Thus you are ready for your ‘show of strength’! The last PC in from patrol reported that quite a large number of the street-lights are out. The question is how many do you leave in the Station and where do your roving patrols go. You intend to call at the Laundry at some time in the night to check on the missing girl story. Also the pawnbrokers might be worth another visit checking on possible stolen goods.
Ron Helping & the Occult Verification Society
You arrive in Radegund Road as on your last Visit to find visibility is better. You notice however that the Street lights beyond Bogey Lane are not lit. The lit buildings you can see are the first one on your left one in the distance at the corner of Knowe Lane, the pawnbroker’s your remember from last time and the Queen’s Head pub. You will proceed to the Lily-White Laundry and decide whether to contact those inside or just try your summoning spells outside. Decide whether to try the Chinese or the ‘Christian’ spell first?
Incantations to Summon Tang Zhou
Chinese Tang ZHou & Matiken speak only Chinese!
To call Tang Zhou “We Jaun Si Tang Zhou” D10 –2 per extra attempt 6+ gong sounds, Tang will appear the move another 6+ is thrown (China is a long way away, even travelling the planes) 5- nothing happens try again?
Tang Zhou FV3 LEA Ac Mo 12”, Ag +6, Me +5 Lance Pst 0 Dead disappear!
To take control of him, show him his reflection in the mirror and say “Oi Ha Tang Zhou!” D10 2+ succeed 1- he will reject you as Red Haired Barbarians! (Can still try Christian summoning.)
To tell him who to save “Nan Ki Fom Fan Flu!” and throw the two strings of cash to him. Then lay out the silken mat for her to be returned to.
When he has gone D10 each move needing 7+. He will return without Fan Flu.He will say “Fan Flu yet lives. The Matiken do not have her! She lies sleeping in a wooden building!” and he will disappear. This will be the signal for two Matiken whom have been spying on Tang Zhou to appear 9” away next move. They wish to attack the spell caster! They are normally invisible but within 12” of the Na K’uei bronze disks they become visible. Their names are Kut-Ah and Bop-Ah. Whilst Bop-Ah will club any others, Ku-Ah will try to kill the spell caster. If killed will disappear as will the Matiken.
Kut-Ah FV2 Ac Mo 8”, Ag +3, Me +2 sword Pst 0 Dead disappear
Bop-Ah FV2 Ac Mo 8”, Ag +3, Me +2 club Bst -1 Dead disappear
If touched by a Na K’uei bronze disk they will be destroyed. Normally they have ther power to appear and disappear at will.
Christian
Spend a move with one using the space clearing rattle and another sweeping with the birch besom to purify the summoning sextagram area. This is then marked out with a stick of gypsum with six purple candles placed and lit at each point. The summoner then beats the ground with a hazel rod and then calls out “Oh Angel Gabriel, lift my spirit to Tang Zhou that he may come here!”
The Doktor is uncertain as to whether this spell should be uttered in English, Latin, German or Chinese. Try them all perhaps except that he does not speak Chinese!
In fact any will do but –1 to dice for each additional language used per move.
D10 –2 per extra attempt 5+ harp sounds, Then D10 3+ Angel Gabriel appears 2- nothing happens a move.
Gabriel FV4 Ac Mo 8”, Ag +6, Me +5 sword Pst +2 Dead disappear
shield –2 to hit chances.
Gabriel will say “You have asked me to summon who? When told Tang Zhou he will say “I will try” and disappears. Need D10 7+ for Tang Zhou to appear when they will need to take control of him with the mirror and proceed as for the Chinese version.